History Repeats
by CaptainS10
Summary: Back and better than ever! Artemis II and Holly haven't seen each other for almost thirteen years. Both have their own kids and separate lives now. Artemis III decides to try to find his mother, but perhaps maybe in a way that was a little too reminiscent of his father's young method of money-making... A/H! Completely re-written. T for a reason!
1. Chapter 1

**Okay! It's now February, and time for me to officially re-release History Repeats! :D So here it is, back and better than ever. Now, I changed a bunch of things, but it was necessary, I swear. And don't worry; it should still be awesome. **

**Oh, and fair warning, this first part is a dream... in both of the first two chapters. ;)**

1. Artemis III

"Dad?" I yelled. "Dad, where'd you go?"

I ran through the woods, dodging trees and stones and any other objects I saw in my way as I searched for my father. I'd seen him come in here, so he was around here somewhere... but the question was, where?

Finally, I ran around one last tree and hit a clearing. And, standing right in the middle, was Dad.

But he wasn't alone. There was a woman there too. She was tiny, almost toddler sized, and had flaming red hair. I couldn't see her face, though.

As I watched, he grabbed her and pressed close to him as he leaned down to kiss her deeply. Her arms went up around his neck, and Dad's around her waist, bringing them ever closer as they continued to kiss.

I wanted to look away, but I couldn't. My eyes were glued to the scene in front of me. It was strange; I was sure I'd never seen that woman before, and yet, she looked so familiar. Standing right here, only a few feet away from her... it didn't even feel familiar. It just felt... right. It was like having her there clicked in the last piece of the puzzle, that one single piece that had been missing for so long... and now it was found, and the puzzle completed.

After what seemed like an eternity, they broke apart, and my father looked over at me with the happiest smile I'd ever seen on him. He motioned for me to come over to him, and I did, hesitantly. He stuck his arm out, as if to pull me in like he had the woman, and she did the same.

But just as I was about to step into their warm embraces, everything went black, and my eyes flew open.

I sat up, breathing slightly heavily, and looked around. Rays of pure golden sunlight were shining in the window, and the alarm clock read 6:47 AM. I yawned heavily, and then climbed out of bed and walked to the door to head downstairs for breakfast.

My dad and my bodyguard were already in the kitchen when I got there, and they seemed to be in the middle of a heated discussion. I paused outside the door to listen for a minute.

I heard Butler sigh and say, "Artemis, don't be ridiculous. Nothing is going to happen now, especially nothing that could in any way be connected with the People."

I blinked. Who were 'the People'? Guess I'll have to look into that, I thought, before listening in closer.

"I know, old friend. But I can't shake the feeling that something is going to happen! It's strange; I haven't seen her for almost thirteen years, yet, lately I keep looking out the windows, and my ring, and I keep almost expecting to hear it go off, or to look and see her hovering outside. I don't know why, I just do. It may have something to do with the strange re-occurring dreams that I've been having, but I don't know." I heard him sigh. "I pulled the Book out again this morning, and was reading over it. It was impulsive, I don't know why I did it... I guess I just thought it might help."

"And did it?" Butler asked quietly.

"A little," Dad admitted. "I don't know why it did, but it did."

After that, the room fell silent, and I decided it was safe to go in.

"Morning, Dad," I greeted, walking into the kitchen. He merely nodded. Now that I could see him, and up close, I could tell from the worry lines in his face that he was stressed. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," he said, getting up and dumping his plate. "I have work to do. If you need me, I'll be in my room." Then he walked out without another word.

"What's up with him?" I asked Butler. Of course, it was needless to ask; I'd just heard him say what was wrong with him, but I figured I'd better act like I didn't.. at least for now.

"He's stressed," Butler answered. "There's just been on a lot on his mind lately. I don't think he meant to be so curt, Artemis." He set a plate in front of me and a glass of milk. I took it and nodded gratefully.

"I figured it was something like that. Usually he only is like that when he's working on a big project or something," I said, taking a sip and swallowing it quickly.

"You could call it that," I heard Butler mutter.

"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He looked at me and shook his head. "Nothing. Just eat your food before it gets cold."

"Okay." I leaned down and started eating silently, but I couldn't last for long. My curiosity was getting the better of me. "Butler, who are 'the People'?" I blurted, not even ten minutes later.

Butler, who had sat back down to keep eating when I did, choked. "What?" he demanded, as soon as he could breathe again. "Where did you even hear that name?"

"You and Dad were talking about it..."

Butler sighed, looking at me with a mix of worry and curiosity in his eyes. "Artemis... exactly how much of that conversation did you hear?"

"The parts about 'The Book' and Dad's dreams, and expecting some lady to show up," I replied, shrugging and taking another bite.

The relief showed in his eyes as he said, "in that case... I don't think it's my place to tell you. Ask your father."

I scowled, but nodded. If he really wanted me to ask my father about it, then there must be a reason. "Well then," I said, standing up, "I think I'm done."

Butler chuckled. "You really want to find out about the People, don't you?"

"What can I say?" I answered, giving him a crooked, guilty smile. "I'm curious."

He chuckled again and shook his head. "Fine, fine. Just do me a favor; don't push him too hard for information, okay? If he doesn't want to tell you, he probably has his reasons for it."

"Of course," I agreed, inwardly knowing that I probably wouldn't honor that agreement. I felt guilty, but I couldn't deny the truth. And anyhow, I deserved the truth, right?

With those thoughts in mind, I got up, dumped my plate, and headed out of the room.

**So, how was it? Please tell me what you think! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, so, this one starts with a dream as well. I actually wrote this one before the first... I couldn't think of a beginning, though! So that's why both of the first chapters are starting with dreams- I dragged the idea from this one into the first. **

2. Sam

"Mom? Mom! Where are you?" I ran around the ancient tree, looking. There was no sign of her anywhere, in spite of the fact I was sure I'd just heard her voice calling for help.

"Sam?"

There it was again, her voice, yet she wasn't there... "Mom?" I yelled again, running around the tree again.

"Sam! Run!"

"Run where?" I shouted desperately.

In answer, the scenery changed, and I finally saw her. She was across the room from me, sitting on a small cot, looking around with wild eyes. "Mom!"

She heard me and turned. "Sam!"

I started to run to her, but found I couldn't move. I looked over my should to see a giant man holding my arms, and screamed loudly.

He just shook his head. "I think we need to do something about you," he told me, then proceeded to pull a gun out of his pocket and press it against my back. I screamed again, increasing my struggles, but it was a useless effort. He held me tight.

"Sam! Calm down!"

"Calm down? He's going to shoot me!" I gasped, squeezing my eyes tightly closed and trying to wriggle free.

"Sam, nobody is going to shoot you! Open your eyes!"

I did, and was surprised to see my mother's face above me. "Mom? Mom!" I stopped struggling, wrapping my arms around her and squeezing her tightly. She released my wrists and rubbed by back with one hand, hugging me back with the other. "Mom... Oh!"

"Shh," she soothed, cradling me against her. "Its okay, Sam. It was a dream, okay? Just a dream..."

"It wasn't just a dream, Mom," I insisted, wiping my eyes and sitting back. "It was another nightmare. And it was horrible... It felt so real..."

"I know, honey, I know. But its over, and it wasn't real. It's okay." She paused, a dark expression crossing over her face as she asked, "it wasn't about your dad again, was it?"

I shook my head. "Not unless my father is a giant man who wants to shoot me."

Mom chuckled and shook her head. "No, he isn't. I promise you that." She kissed the top of my head. "Why don't you lay down and try to go back to sleep, okay? I bet you'll feel better if you do."

"What if I have a nightmare again?"

"Then I'll be back," she promised. "Just go back to sleep." I still hesitated, and she sighed. "At least try, Sam. If you can't, then you can come get me and wake me up again. Alright?"

"Alright," I agreed. "I'll try. Thanks, Mom." I hugged her again, then laid back down. She tucked me back in, kissed my head, and then left. I rolled over and closed my eyes, and soon fell back asleep.

I didn't have anymore nightmares the rest of the night.

The next morning, Mom was already up and making breakfast when I woke up. I went downstairs to find she had already set a plate out at the table for me and was making one for herself.

"Morning, sleepy," she said, as I walked in.

"Morning," I returned, yawning as I sat down at the table.

She smiled and sat down across from me, then suddenly her face took on a serious look. "Did you sleep better last night, after I woke you up?"

"Actually, yes. Much better." I took a bite and chewed slowly, letting my mind reflect back on the nightmare; loosing Mom, seeing her in the cell, then being held away from her by the giant man with the gun. Thinking about that part particularly made me shudder.

We ate in silence for a few minutes after that, until suddenly, Mom's communicator rang. It peeped out, in Lili Frond's voice, my favorite ringtone to listen to on her communicator: her boss's. "Trouble! Trouble! It's your commaaaaaander!"

This ringtone was made all the funnier because her boss's name actually was Trouble. Trouble Kelp. Or, in work terms, Commander Kelp.

And, of course, all the funniness lasted for the about five seconds while the ringtone played out, and then it was straight to business. For if the commander was calling on a weekend, then something was wrong.

"Hello?" Mom asked, answering it as she took another bite.

"Short!" the commander's voice barked through the speakers, making me jump. "Come to the Plaza, now!"

Mom groaned. "Today is my day off! Can't it wait?"

"No! Come to the Plaza, now, or you'll loose your day off this week and next!" Then he hung up with a growl and an audible click.

Mom slammed her hand down on the table and hissed. I jumped, and she sighed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." Sighing again, she muttered, "finish eating and go get dressed."

I nodded and took another bite, eating quicker now. I finished soon and then ran up the stairs, going in my closet and grabbing the first outfit I saw before slipping it on and rushing back downstairs.

Mom was already in the kitchen waiting for me. "Ready?"

"Yeah," I agreed. "Let's go."

The ride to the Plaza would have been completely silent if not for the radio. Mom was silent the whole time, fuming, and I was still a little too tired to try to whip up a conversation, so I just turned it on and sat back to enjoy the ride.

It didn't take long to get there. Mom drove like a manic; she always did, but more so now because she was in a hurry. It was terrifying, yet exciting at the same time... although probably just for me. If Mom gave a stranger a ride, who didn't know how she drove, it would probably have been just plain terrifying.

Walking into the Police Plaza with Mom, where she worked with the LEP officers, always got me attention. All the other officers liked to pick on me and stuff, but I didn't mind, because it wasn't serious; they just liked to play with me. Mom didn't mind because it got me out of her hair while she worked. I especially liked to go talk to Foaly while she was busy. He gave me carrots. Yum.

This time, however, none of them did, because none of them were there. Saturday was most of the officers day off. Usually, that would include my mom, but not this time.

"What is so D'Arvitting important that you made me come in now, at this flipping ungodly hour of the morning?" Mom demanded as she rounded the corner ahead of me into Commander Kelp's office.

Kelp turned and looked at her as she entered. He didn't look angry about her sudden intrusion or the rude comments; in fact, he looked relieved. "Thank you for getting here so fast," he said, standing up and ignoring her question. "I know you're upset about getting your day off taken away, but I needed someone experienced on this."

He grabbed some papers off the desk and handed them to her, and she looked at them and grimaced. "You want me to track down a fully grown bull troll and corner it for the retrieval squad?"

"Yes, if you could," the commander sighed, sitting back down and leaning forward on the desk.

"Why me?" Mom asked.

"Because, for one thing, you have experience in this kind of thing. You've done it multitudes of times before. And.. you know the area better than any of my other offices."  
Mom looked over the paper again. This time, she must have found something she didn't like, because her eyes widened and she threw the paper down on the table. "No. Find somebody else."

"Holly, be reasonable! It's not like I'm asking you to-"

"Trouble, it doesn't matter what you're asking me to do there, I'm not going anywhere near Dublin. It's that simple."

Commander Kelp stood up and walked around the desk, looking at Mom with a determined, but kind expression on his face. She stared back defiantly. "Captain Short. If it was in any way connected with him, I wouldn't ask you to do it. But the odds are probably fifty to one that you'll even see someone who looks like him in the brief time you'll be there, and I don't want to risk putting anyone else on the case if I can get someone experienced instead. Come on."

"I'm really not comfortable with this."

"I'm really not comfortable with putting one of those stupid new recruits on the case and watching something happen to them because they didn't know what they were doing," he hissed back.

Mom chewed her lip for a minute, then sighed. "I suppose I go to Foaly for a visa and equipment?"

The commander relaxed and walked back around the desk. "Yes," he agreed, sitting back down in his desk chair. "Thank you, Holly."

"Don't thank me yet," Mom muttered, turning and walking out. I waved at the commander, then followed her.

"Mom, who were you and the commander talking about?"

"Nobody," she snapped. "Forget you even heard that."

I frowned, but nodded. "Okay," I answered slowly. "I guess I'll try."

We walked into the Ops Booth, and the first thing Mom did was walk in a grab the latest Neutrino model off the shelf. Then she turned to Foaly. "Give me my D'Arvitting visa so I can get this over with," she growled.

"Somebody's in a bad mood," Foaly muttered, walking over and handing her two tickets and a helmet. "There. Don't shoot me.'

"Don't tempt me," she shot back, slipping the helmet on. "Come on, Sam."

I was about to follow her, when Foaly put a hand on my shoulder to stop. "Be careful with her on this one. Bad memories. Oh, and tell her I said to say hi to Artemis for me." He winked, then pushed me out the door and shut it behind me.

Confused, not to mention curious, I shook my head and followed Mom out of the Police Plaza. Within minutes we were on our way to the shuttle port.

**I think that one was a little longer than the last one... oh well. Anyhow, please tell me what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**So this is shorter than the other ones... sorry. **

3. Artemis III

I walked upstairs from to Dad's room in silence, then knocked lightly on the door. Of course, I knew the code to get in without him actually letting me in, but I didn't figure right now would be the proper time to use it. Anyhow, within a few seconds the door beeped and opened on it's own, and I heard Dad say, "come in."

I entered and closed the door behind me, then turned around and looked at Dad. He had turned around, so his back was to his desk, and was looking at me. "Did you want something, Artemis?"

"Yeah... can I talk to you?"

"Of course. Sit down." I sat on his bed, and he got up and joined me. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is.. wrong, necessarily," I murmured, unsure. I thought for a moment after that, and Dad let me in silence. How to go into this? It obviously seemed to be a tender subject for him, so I couldn't just blurt it out... right? Then again, maybe a direct approach would be better...

Dad smirked when he saw me thinking hard. I was having trouble deciding what to say, and he saw it in my face. "Artemis, let's make this easy on both of us," he said softly, laying a hand on my knee. "You heard my conversation with Butler and want to know what it was about. Right?"

I tried to keep the shocked look off my face as I asked, "what? How did you know that?"

"Artemis, I'm a genius, remember? I thought you were supposed to be almost as smart as I was at your age; where did all those IQ points go?" He chuckled and shook his head. "At any rate, I don't believe you were quite as subtle as you thought you were. I'm sure Butler guessed as well, didn't he?"

"No, actually," I said defensively, crossing my arms. "I made him choke when I told him I heard you two talking. He never guessed that I was eavesdropping at all."

Dad shrugged. "He does seem to be more observant with his eyes than his ears as he ages," he murmured. "However, not the point." Dad looked back up at me, and his face took on a more serious look. "Artemis, listen. I know that you heard all the stuff I said, or at least a good percentage of it, and I know you want to know about the People now, but I want you to know that this isn't a game. This is serious, and believe me when I say that these people are armed and dangerous. You shouldn't mess with them." He squeezed my knee. "I just want you to promise me you'll use this information responsibly, alright? And then I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

I stared in his eyes. I could tell he wasn't joking at all, and he wasn't just saying this stuff to scare me: he was serious. And though I wouldn't admit it, that was enough to spook me. .. although not enough to sway me. And, so, though I hesitated, after a moment I still nodded and said, "yeah. Alright. I promise."

He seemed to visibly relax a little at this, but not much. "Alright... what do you want to know?"

That I had to think about for a minute. What did I want to know? "Well... that person, that girl you were talking about.. who was she? Was she one of them? And what about those dreams you said you were having?"

Dad closed his eyes. "I did say I was having dreams about her, didn't I?" He sighed. "Yes, I am. Before we stopped talking, she and I were very close, and we did lots of things together, and made plenty of memories... some good, some bad. Let's just say I've been having dreams about those things, and those memories."

I nodded. "Okay. But who was she?" Dad hesitated on answering, and my heart thumped. "Dad... "

"Alright, alright. She was your mother. Happy?"

I jumped up, immediately angry. "What? You mean... she's alive?"

"Yes." Dad sighed. "Artemis, I'm sorry for lying to you, but you weren't supposed to know about the People. And we are forbidden from seeing each other, anyhow. I didn't see the sense in telling you she was alive, or telling you about the People, when you probably won't ever even see your mother or any of her kind anyways."

Even through my anger, that sentence caught my attention. "What?"

"The People... they aren't human, Artemis," Dad admitted. "Neither was... is.. your mother. They are fairies. Of course, they are all different species... but you understand."

"What species was she?" I asked. My anger was slowly, slightly diminishing, but only slightly.

"The captain was an elf. A very talented, and feisty elf, I may add. We didn't always get along the greatest." He smirked and shook his head. "She and I... well, our relationship didn't start out the best, or end, for that matter. We were more often than not closer to enemies than friends."

"Why? What happened with you two?"

Dad coughed awkwardly, not looking at me. "I refuse to answer that question. Now.. is there anything else you want to know? I really should be getting back to work."

I thought for a minute, still irritated. I was plenty smart enough to realize he was dodging the questions. Finally I thought I had come up with a suitable parting question. "Yeah, actually." He looked up at me, and I crossed my arms before asking, "when are you going to stop hiding things from me?"

Dad's mouth opened, and then closed several times, but no words came out. Great, I thought. Something else I won't be getting an answer to.

"Never mind, then," I muttered. "Forget it." I dropped my arms and sighed, turning and walking out of the room. I heard Dad call out at me, but I ignored him as I walked back downstairs to the kitchen.

Butler was still down there, cleaning up when I went in. "I take it you didn't particularly like what he said?" he asked, taking in the look on my face that must have clearly said I was upset.

I stomped over to the fridge, snatched a bottle of water out, then turned to look at him. "I just don't like being lied to," I said flatly. Then I turned and left the kitchen, stalking silently up the stairs again to my room, locking the door behind me.

**Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**New chapter! Sorry it took me so long to update, I've been busy. But I am working on some stuff to make up for it, promise you guys. And I may or may not do a Valentine's special.. I started one, but then I got so many ideas... I might just do a whole little Valentine's/fluff related group of one shots and post them... because the one I started started out going nowhere fast, and then I got hit with a bunch of ideas and I'm not sure what to do with all of them. And some of them are kinda dark... Emphasis on dark... **

**Anyhow, you guys want HR, so I should stop babbling. Without further ado, chapter 4! :D**

4. Artemis II

"When are you going to stop hiding things from me?"

Damn, I thought, frowning as I opened and closed my mouth several times. But I couldn't make any words come out. How was I supposed to answer that question? Yell at him for back-talking? Lie? He had a right to be mad, after what I just dropped on him, and the reason he was mad at me was for lying, so telling another lie on top of it would just make a bad situation worse. So I finally just shut my mouth and looked away.

"Never mind, then," I heard him mutter. "Forget it." I glanced up to see him turn around and start to walk away. I winced at the expression on his face. He looked angry, and bitter, but what was worse was that when I looked in his mismatched eyes, I could see that more than anything else, I had hurt him by lying to him. And the look I saw in his eyes was all too familiar; I'd seen that look in Holly's eyes more than once before our relationship ended, and seeing it in his eyes too cut deep.

"Artemis, wait," I called, getting up and starting to follow him. He just kept walking, not even glancing back at the sound of my voice. I squeezed my eyes closed and sighed, eventually just shutting the door and walking back over to my bed again.

I let myself fall back on the satin sheets and rubbed my face, lying there like that for several minutes. I heard Artemis stomp back upstairs and down the hall, and then winced when his door slammed shut.

I got up and walked across the room to my desk. Unlocking and pulling open my top left drawer where I kept all my old fairy things under lock and key, I shifted around for a minute before finding what I was looking for.

It was a picture of Holly. Well, Holly and me, but I wasn't looking at myself; she was the one I wanted to see. Sighing softly, I walked over and laid down on my bed again, still staring at the picture in my hand. It was old- I was probably only sixteen in the picture, and the color was fading and scratches littered it all around the edges. But it was all I had, so I would deal with that.

I sat there and stared at the picture for several more minutes, deep in thoughts about Holly and all my other old fairy acquaintances, until I was startled back to reality by a loud rapping on my door.

Instantly, I knew who it was. "Come in, Butler."

My ever faithful manservant opened the door, and I looked up at him as he stepped in. "Hello, old friend."

"Artemis," he sighed, coming over and sitting down on my bed next to me, "what did you say to your son?"

I shrugged, but I was unable to sake the feeling of guilt. "I just answered his questions... I guess he didn't like my answers." Sighing, I sat up. "I shouldn't have told him about Holly. I definitely shouldn't have told him about the People."

"It's too late now."

I grumbled, muttering, "if I had half a mind, I'd call Foaly and have him come do a block mind wipe.."

Butler shook his head. "You wouldn't do that. There's too big of a risk of an IQ drop, not to mention that you still aren't in contact with the People, and haven't been for thirteen years. Anyhow.. he does deserve to know, Artemis."

I sighed. Yes... But now he's angry. Of course, that's because he didn't know..." I paused for a moment, then stopped pacing entirely and turned to Butler as another thought occurred to me. "Butler... what if he tries to find them? Or kidnap one like I did?"

"Then Holly would come and kill you," Butler said, smirking.

"Damn..." I muttered. "Keep an eye on him for me, will you? I don't remember if I told you, but I have a business meeting I have to leave for soon. I'll be gone a few days."

"No, you told me, though I forget until you mentioned it." He paused. "Did you tell Artemis?"

"No," I admitted. "I was going to, but I haven't had much time..." I sighed and looked around the room briefly. My eyes flicked back to Butler. "And this whole thing with the People... it's too late to do anything about it. However, it can be monitored, so just make sure he isn't doing anything suspicious. If you suspect anything, tell me. In the mean time, let's not think too much about it."

"Of course not. There's no sense in dwelling on it."

"My logic exactly. If something is going to happen, then it will. If not, then it won't. Now... I have a meeting to prepare for."

"Yes... I suppose I'll leave you. But if you need anything, I'll be just down the hall."

I smiled genuinely at him, patting his arm as he passed. I still, even at my age, only came up to his shoulder at full height. "Thank you, old friend. I owe you."

"Consider the debt already paid," Butler countered from the doorway. I wanted to argue, and turned to do so, but the look on his face stopped me.

He saw me falter and smirked, turning and leaving. I sighed as I watched him go, feeling saddened. The feeling only deepened as I walked back over and picked Holly's picture up again. I stared at it for a few finally moment, then went over and stuck it in the drawer again, locked it, and went back to work.

**What do you think? I warned you all it was a little sad... :( ..Please review! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, folks, sorry this took so long. I just finished it... I've been super busy. Kellycat77 and I are both working hard on some new stuff for you guys, and I myself have also been sick. The only reason this chapter is done now is because I'm home from school, sick. :( Yeah.. so, anyhow, it's done now! Enjoy! :)**

**Disclaimer: I own my OCs. That's it. If I owned AF, this wouldn't be on fanfiction, would it? ;)**

5. Sam

The ride to the shuttle port was long. The flight to the surface from the shuttle port was longer.

Mom said the ride would take awhile, but what she didn't say was that it was almost a three hour ride. That was a nice thing for me to figure out on my own...

I fell asleep sometime during the first hour of the ride, and woke up on the second, leaving almost another hour before we'd land on the surface. Mom was sitting in the pilot's seat, humming softly as she worked the controls. I blinked several times and asked, "Mom?"

She glanced at me and smiled. "Sam. You're awake."

"Yeah..." I murmured softly. In all honesty, I was still half asleep. "How much longer until we get to the surface?"

"About forty five minutes," she answered. "Why?"

I shrugged. "Just wondering."

"Alright."

After that, we chatted amiably for a while, mostly about general stuff: school, boys, what I wanted for dinner tonight... that sort of thing. Nothing really abnormal, until she suddenly asked, "what did Foaly stop you to ask?"

"What do you mean?"

"Foaly," Mom said slowly, emphasizing the word. "What did he hold you behind for when we were leaving Ops?"

I recalled his words in my mind. _Be careful with her on this one. Bad memories. Oh, and tell her I said to say hi to Artemis for me._ "Why?"

"I'm curious," Mom said simply, shrugging. "And I'm your mother. It's my job to keep tabs on these kinds of things."

"Well... He said to be careful because this might bring up bad memories. And to ask you to say hi to Artemis for him." I looked at her. Her face was slowly turning red. "Who's Artemis, Mom?"

Mom gritted her teeth and muttered, "if I wasn't on my way for a Recon mission, I'd turn this shuttle around and kill that damn centaur."

I blinked, surprised at both her reaction and at the fact that Mom had cussed. She usually didn't use any kind of vulgar language. Except D'Arvit, of course, but that didn't really count. "Mom?" I said softly.

She sighed, taking one hand off the joystick and rubbing her face. "Sam... I'm sorry. Foaly just needs to mind his own business, and it bugs me when he doesn't. Artemis... he's an old friend of mine. But we haven't seen each other since before you were born, and I don't intend to go see him now."

"Why?"

"Well... let's just say we had a fight. I can't really think of a better way to put it without going into details, and you don't need to hear all of those."

"Oh..." I muttered. "Okay. But where does he live? Atlantis? Because I didn't realize we were going to detour that direction..."

"Honey," Mom said gently, "Artemis lives on the surface. He's human."

I gasped. Human? Mom knew a _human_? She was _friends_ with one? "What?"

"Sam, I know what everybody says about humans, but not all of them are bad. When we first met, I will admit, Artemis was bad. But he had that little spark of decency... and all he needed was a little help. I knew him from the time he was twelve to the time he was twenty one, almost twenty two." She paused, thinking. "He'd be about thirty four now, give or take a few years."

"But.. he's human! How could you be friends with a human? And why was he not mind wiped?"

Mom smiled a little at that question. "He was. Once. He was about thirteen or fourteen at the time... let's just say, we did it once, and we never tried again... I suppose we should have known he could cheat the mind wipe. Even if it never actually worked out completely the way he planned it." She sighed, flicking a few controls up on the dash. "Probably the only one of his plans that ever really went awry."

I was about to ask what she meant by that, but suddenly the shuttle jerked once, and we broke the surface.

* * *

Mom parked the shuttle neatly, and we both piled out, Mom lugging two pairs of wings and her LEP equipment behind her.

I breathed in deeply and spun around, relishing the feeling of being on the surface, and the surface air. Mom chuckled. "Enjoy it while it lasts, Sam. We'll probably be back in Haven by sundown." Then she handed me a bag, saying, "stay out of human sight as best you can. However, if you really want to explore the towns or for some reason it's necessary, one of Foaly's new form-changing bracelets is in there. There's also a communicator, in case you need to get a hold of me, and a hat to hide your ears. Do not lose that communicator, got it?"

I nodded. "Okay.. why?"

She turned on her wings and ascended into the air a few feet. "That's my only means of finding you. I can track you through it, using my locator. Stay out of trouble until I come get you, alright? This might take a few hours."

"Alright. Bye, Mom."

"Bye, Sam." She flew off, already looking at her locator to trace the troll and talking into her helmet mike. I watched her until she disappeared from sight, then strapped my own wings on and flew away. Time to do some exploring...

**What do you think? Please R&R! Also, check out my new one-shot! It's called The Leaky Dart, and it's a short little scene that takes place in the first AF book. It's slightly AU-ish, however, mostly I just altered some events... :P Anyhow, check that out, and please R&R! For both! ;D**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! Before anyone flips out, I'm so sorry for this late of an update. I really am. First my internet broke, and then when I got it fixed, my FF decided to take a crap too. Is anyone else having trouble with the copy-n-paste method of updating? Or am I the only one who usually does that? Anyways, I'm dragging on. . . Here is the chapter!**

Artemis III

I sat in my room and fumed. Dad lied. Again. It kept happening... And I was running out of trust.

He still hadn't even told me about his business meeting this week. Of course, I knew about it (eavesdropping and viruses that weakened computer defenses came in handy), but it wasn't the point. He kept hiding stuff from me. Important stuff. If this kept up, who knew what I would find out next?

A sat on my bed for several minutes, still completely ticked. Then, suddenly, the door opened. "Artemis?" my father asked, sticking his head in.

"If you've come to tell me more lies, you might as well leave," I said, rolling over.

"Artemis," he sighed, and I winced at the tone of his voice. "Look, I know you're mad, and you have a right to be. But please believe me when I say that I did it to protect you. And the People. I was just trying not to hurt you."

"Oh yeah, and you didn't think it would hurt me for you to lie to me? For years? And it's about more than just the People, Dad." I rolled over and glared at him. "When did you plan to tell me about your business meeting? Huh? Or did you just plan to up and disappear for a week without telling me, and make Butler do it?"

Dad frowned. "Artemis-"

"Forget it, Dad. I don't want to talk about this, and I sure as heck don't want to do it when I'm feeling so low." I looked away from him again.

Instantly, Dad went into concerned-parent mode. "What do you mean? Are you sick?" He came over and pushed me down on the bed with one hand as the other covered my forehead. "You do feel slightly warm. . ."

I smacked his hand away. "When I said low, I didn't mean it as in sick. At least not physically. Although, now that I think about it, I suppose I do feel sick... sick of being lied to." Then I got up and stormed away, into the adjoining bathroom, and slammed the door shut behind me. I locked it, too, to keep him from following me, but of course he had a key to the bathroom anyways. If he really wanted to follow me, the only thing it did was slow him down for a minute, and irritate him.

He pounded on the door when he realized it was locked with a low growl of frustration. "Artemis Fowl, you had better open the door now."

He didn't use my middle name, I thought, so I can't be in serious trouble. "Maybe I don't want to."

"What part of that statement made you think that would matter?"

I frowned, but didn't answer. I didn't intend to, either. Instead I just walked over and flipped on the shower, pulling the curtain closed too. I heard Dad sigh when he heard the water kick on.

"Look, I don't have time for this. I have to leave. I take it you don't want to come with me?"

"I'm getting a shower," was my only response.

"Fine. I'll talk to you later, I guess... Call me if you need me." I heard him sigh, and his footsteps moved away a moment later. I clicked opened the lock and peeked out, and sure enough, Dad was gone.

I closed the door and put my back to it, sighing. It felt wrong to be so curt with him, but it also felt wrong to be lied to, and I was sick and tired of it. I wasn't going to take anymore of the lies, anymore, and I'd make sure of it. A plan slowly starting forming in my mind, growing more developed by the minute. . . Oh yeah. He'd soon see who he was dealing with. And the People would too. . . .

After my shower, I went down the hall to see Butler. I needed to run my plan across him, and anyways, I would need his help to put it into action.

"Come in," he called to me, as I knocked on the door. I opened the door and came in to sit quietly on his bed, and he sat there for a moment longer before closing the copy of _Guns and Ammo_ in his hand and looking up at me. "Artemis. Did you need something?" he inquired, sounding concerned.

I answered immediately. "I needed to talk to you."

"I'm listening," was his response.

"Okay. Well. . . . I have an idea," I admitted, standing and beginning to pace. "But I wanted to run it by you. And I'll need your help to to through with it, so you have to be filled in anyways." I glanced at him, and he nodded to show he understood. "My father told me a few things about the People. From what he said, I understand my mother was one of them. And. . I want to find her."

Butler straightened slightly and sat back - a sure sign he was alert and listening attentively. I had his attention. "Artemis, I don't know. It just. . I don't think your father would approve."

"I know," I replied. "But I don't care what he thinks at the moment. After all, if I do find her, and bring her back here, it benefits him too, so what can he complain about really?"

Butler still looked unconvinced, but he said, "I suppose you have a point. I'll listen to what you suggest, but I make no promises on whether I'll go through with it or not. . .or whether I'll let you go through with it."

I relented at that. He was agreeing to listen - that would have to be enough. "Alright," I agreed, starting to pace again. "Now. I have the beginnings of a plan, but it's going to sound extreme. . . "

"Let me guess," Butler said dryly, and I saw the smirk tugging at his lips as he spoke. "This is going to involve something illegal, isn't it?"

I hesitated, then nodded. "Yes. Is that a problem?"

"Not for me. However, the Fowls are supposed to be straight now, Artemis. You know your father wouldn't condone."

"Perhaps not. Though I think it would be highly hypocritical of him to really say anything about it, don't you? Considering he's performed his fair share of illegal acts himself. Not to mention that 'business trip' he just left on," I put quotes on the words 'business trip' with my fingers when I spoke, "is not legal either, as I think we both know." I paused, then added, "at any rate, I do not plan on telling him about this until its over, so it doesn't particularly matter whether he'd condone or not."

Butler raised an eyebrow. "You realize that, most likely, he will seriously ground you for this when it's over, right?"

I leveled my gaze on him and said, as calmly and sincerely as I could, "if I actually manage to pull this off, and we get my mother back, then it will be worth it."

He met my eyes, stared at me for a moment, then sighed. "Alright. If you're sure." Then he paused for a moment and asked, "so, are you going to enlighten me as to this plan now?"

I smiled. He was in. "Of course. As long as you want to know what illegal acts I had in mind."

"And what would they be?" he persisted.

"Oh, that's easy. For starters. . . kidnapping."

**So, anyone want the next chapter? :D Please review! The next chapter the action really starts! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, I've been writing a lot, and I'm ahead by almost five chapters, so I decided to post another one today. :D And, this is where the excitement starts! *grins widely* who's ready for some action?**

Sam:

Several hours after Mom found me in the woods, we were flying through the Dublin sky together, headed for a ritual site nearby. Apparently, it was one of Mom's favorites, but I'd never been there before.

When we touched down, it was only shortly after nine o'clock, but I was already tired. Flying was fun, and so was exploring and sightseeing, but it was also tiring. I was looking forward to performing the ritual and then being able to get some sleep on the shuttle ride back to Haven.

"Find an acorn, Sam," Mom said, obviously noticing this. She gave me a sympathetic smile as I looked over at the sound of my name. "Then we'll go home, okay, kiddo?"

I just nodded and dropped down where I was to begin searching.

My search didn't last long. I picked up an acorn after just a few minutes of searching, and then looked at Mom. "Found one."

"Okay, just a second. . . Got one." She stood up, holding an acorn up in her left hand. "Alright, let's - "

She didn't get to finish the sentence.

Suddenly something whizzed past my ear. I jumped, and started to turn around, when Mom grabbed me and pulled me behind her, turning to use the tree for cover. She pushed me down and stood, putting her back to the tree and quickly drawing her Neutrino.

"Don't move," she whispered to me.

"What's happening?" I whispered back.

"Humans," was her curt response.

Humans? I thought. "What? How?" I hissed. It was nearly a shriek, but I caught myself at the last second.

Mom didn't answer as she spun around the tree and started firing. I didn't say anything else after that, and I didn't move. I suppose I was sort of paralyzed - fear will do that.

I say there for a few minutes silently. I could hear Mom on the other side of the giant oak, obviously still fighting with the humans. I couldn't tell for sure, but it didn't sound like it was going well - I didn't dare stick my head out to check, though.

The sound of Mom's Neutrino cut off abruptly, and my heart sped up. Had they gotten her? Or had she stopped because she'd successfully scared them away? I didn't know, but I was about to find out, because somebody was coming towards me.

I squeezed my eyes tightly closed and curled up in a ball, trying to minimize my frame for a smaller target in case it wasn't Mom coming, though I prayed to Frond that it was.

My prayers were unanswered, however - I suddenly heard a voice next to me that definitely wasn't Mom's, and felt a hand grasp my shoulder. Another took my hand.

"Take a deep breath," I heard a voice murmur, right by my ear. It was soft, attempting to be soothing, but deep - definitely male. "Just relax. I don't want to hurt you. Open your eyes."

Slowly, I complied. What else could I do? Curled up, I couldn't fight, anyways. So I slowly say back up and, after taking a moment to steel myself, I cracked one eye open.

Kneeling beside me was a human. He was young, too - probably early teens in human years. He had dark, almost raven black hair, and was wearing a pair of black sweat pants with a plain, dark green tee shirt to top it off. He was still holding my hand and my shoulder, and when I looked up into his eyes, my jaw almost dropped. Not because of what I saw in them (though the tenderness reflected towards me was surprising too), but because they were two different colors: one was a deep blue color, and the other a bright hazel. . . Just like Mom's.

Before I could contemplate it further, the boy spoke.

"I know," he said gently. "I'm moon-eyed, and it's disconcerting. But I can't explain now - just come with me." With that, he tried to pull me to feet, but I resisted.

"No," I whispered, with more bravado than I actually felt. "You're human. I-I can't - "

"I know," he interrupted. "You don't trust me. That's okay. But you have to come with me. . . for what it's worth, though, you can trust me. I won't hurt you." He paused for a breath, then repeated, "come with me."

I bit my lip and studied face again. I really didn't see any signs of anger, or hatred, or anything else that led me to believe he was lying, but I was still unsure. He could have just been really good at hiding it. But then, what did it matter? I couldn't fight, and no doubt they had weapons anyways, so I really had no choice but to give in to him. So, sighing and biting my lower lip again to keep it from trembling, I nodded, and this time I let him pull me to my feet.

"There we go," the boy murmured, in the same soft, soothing tone. "It's okay." He pulled me up against him and slid an arm under my shoulders - as much to support my suddenly weak knees as to keep me close enough he was sure I wouldn't try to run away, I believe.

We walked around the tree like that, my heart pounding. I kept my eyes on the ground, half expecting to see Mom's lifeless body lying there somewhere along the way. A terrifying thought, and a sickening one at that, but entirely plausible, especially considering I hadn't heard anything from her since the gunshots stopped.

Suddenly the boy stopped, forcing me to too. "Where's the other one?" he asked.

I opened my mouth to say "I don't know" when I realized that the question wasn't directed at me, but at the giant man now standing not three feet away from me and the boy. As soon as I saw him, my jaw dropped, and I gasped. Then, when he looked down at me, a sound somewhere between a whimper and a sob passed my lips.

He frowned, and even the boy looked down at me in concern as it reached his ears. My hands shot up to my mouth.

There was a brief moment of silence, and then the huge man finally answered, though his eyes never left me. "She escaped," he finally said, slowly, his voice deep but kind. Then he stepped forward quickly and reached for me.

His hand closed around my wrist and pulled my hand away from my mouth, and I shrieked as my knees finally came in. I fell on my knees in front of them, letting my head hang and struggling not to sob as I choked out the only thing I could, a small word, without bursting into tears - an option that was sounding more and more appealing with every passing minute. "Please!" I gasped.

There was a soft rustling as both of the humans knelt beside me, and the boy reached over and tilted my head up. I blinked several times at the sight of his mismatched eyes again - he was right, that was disconcerting.

"Listen," he ordered softly. "Butler is with me, alright? He's my friend. And I know he looks scary, but he won't hurt you, either."

I nodded, trying hard to control my fear. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply in and out. "Even if you were going to," I whispered, never opening my eyes, "it wouldn't matter. You have me where you want me - I'm alone, I can't fight to save my life, a-and I don't want to anyhow. I'm trapped and defenseless. So there." I sighed slightly and opened my eyes, but I only looked at the ground by the humans' feet. I couldn't meet either of their eyes. "I won't try to escape. I surrender. Just take me to your stupid government or whatever it is you plan to do with me." Then I lowered my head again.

Suddenly I felt fingers running through my hair, and I peeked up slightly to see the boy was the culprit. He tilted his head to meet my eyes and smiled gently at me again. "Listen, kiddo. We're not going to take you to the government. I, at least, have no desire to expose you or your people, honestly. I just need you to come with me to answer a few questions, and then we'll let you go. Okay?"

I blinked several times, biting my lip again - that was really becoming a bad habit for me. "You really will let me go if I do what you say? Promise?"

"Promise," he promised softly. "Now come on, let's go back to the manor - you can get some rest, and then we'll talk tomorrow."

I just nodded. I didn't really expect the human to keep his promise, but what other choices did have but to believe him? None, really.

He picked me up off my knees, and then pulled me into his arms. I was surprised by the sudden embrace, but didn't try to pull away - no doubt the human was way stronger than me. At any rate, he was being so gentle, I wasn't sure I wanted to struggle. . . . Until something poked me in the neck.

I jumped and yelped, but the human shushed me. I muttered a "hm?" as my knees went weak again, and looked up at him. He supported me without a word. "What happened?" I asked, my voice low and hoarse.

He picked me up and started carrying me. . . Somewhere. The fact we were going away was the only thing I could tell with my vision suddenly swirling and blurring so much. I held on to the collar of his shirt tightly, asking again, "what did you do to me?"

He glanced down and answered, "he just gave you a little shot. It was some liquid that will make you tired, and fairly soon, it should knock you out."

I frowned. "So. . You were only. . . . Holding me still?" It took some effort to force the question out - my lips didn't want to move.

It turned out to be a waste of effort. The boy never answered, or if he did, I never heard him. A moment later, we stopped walking, and he gingerly laid me inside what a figured was a human vehicle. The door slammed, and my eyes closed. . . .

**Please review! Next chapter is Holly!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, so, I haven't updated for a while. My apologies. It's not really that I'm behind on writing, because honestly I have most of this stories finished and saved in files, but just that I'm behind on updating. It won't happen again, I swear. I already gave my co-author, and now am giving you guys, the permission to knock me upside the head if I get so late again. PM me or review me so I am notified somehow to get off my lazy duff and update, and sooner or later I will. Promise. ;)**

Holly -

My heart almost stopped when I heard the whizzing sound.

Immediately, a dozen memories came rushing back. Artemis and Butler, before we made truce, them shooting at me. Being kidnapped, and held in the cell in Fowl Manor, and the siege. . . So much of it. But it was all mostly the realization that we had to get out of there. That sound could only mean one thing - humans.

I snatched Sam before she could turn, pushing her down behind me, standing myself and drawing my Neutrino. "Don't move," I ordered to Sam, my eyes already scanning around for the culprit. Whoever it was, they must have been just far enough to the right that they were covered by the trunk.

"What's happening?" I heard Sam whisper. The poor thing sounded terrified, and tired. I didn't blame her, and I felt bad, but there was no time for comfort. So I just said, "humans" and spun around the tree.

My first shot nailed the bulky man on the other side straight in the shoulder, and the second one, which came rapidly after that, was narrowly dodged by a smaller human standing by his leg. The third one slid right in between them.

The smaller one slipped away and rushed around the tree. I paused, lowering my gun slightly as I debated following him to warn Sam, but my decision was made for as right then the big one moved.

I moved too, but a second too late. This one may have been big, but he was fast. Before I could level and pull the trigger again, my wrist was caught and he twisted my arm backwards. I collapsed, hissing in pain, and the gun was pried out of my hand. I expected to hear it crunch after it hit the ground, but I didn't. So it must still be intact, I thought. I just have to get free and get to it. . .

Suddenly, the man spun me around and pressed my back to the tree, pinning my gun hand above my head and then reaching down to force the other up to join it. I was just about to yell something, and opened my mouth to do so, when a hand clamped firmly down over it.

"Think before you speak this time, Captain," a deep, familiar voice ordered. I hadn't heard it in years, but I still recognized it. "Learn from your past. And I promise you I still know exactly what I'm dealing with."

I jerked away from his hand and gasped, "Butler!"

The human chuckled. "Last time I checked, that was my name. Now, on a serious note, we don't have a lot of time. As much as I'd like to sit down and have a nice chat, Holly, I think you and I both know that's not what we're here for."

I nodded. "Yeah. . . My only question is, why?"

"It's not about ransom this time," Butler said quickly. "I promise you I wouldn't be helping if his intentions were anything of the sort. But, we still have to kidnap one of you, and considering its been you once before. . "

"Butler, no! Not Sam! Please?" I protested. "Just take me. Whatever it is, I'm sure I would be of more help. . She's just a little kid!"

Butler squeezed my shoulder comfortingly. "I know. But does Sam know how to get to Artemis to tell him what's going on?"

My eyes dropped, and so did my heart. I flinched. "Artemis. . " I whispered.

"Yes, Artemis. You have to find him. He's out on a business trip now, so he's not at the manor - the whole point in doing this now." He paused. "Track him with his communicator, or even call him and get directions if you'd like. But find him, and then come to the manor. We have to talk. All of us."

I frowned as he let me go, rubbing my wrists. "You're letting me go?"

"Yes. Like I said, you have to get Artemis. I'll just have to tell him you escaped." He looked at me, sighed, and then hugged me. "Now go, before they come."

I hugged him back, wanting to linger, but knowing that I couldn't. So I pulled away and rose up. "Promise me Sam will be safe until I get there?"

"I promise," Butler agreed. "Now go!"

I sighed and reached down to grab my gun and the acorn I had dropped off the ground beside me, then throttled my wings as hard as I could and zipped off into the sky just as the sound of footsteps became clear - Sam and the smaller human must have been coming around the tree.

I had no doubts that Sam was with him. She wasn't nearly as strong-willed as I was, except maybe when she was angry. But she wasn't angry right now - she was terrified. And, especially because she didn't know how to fight yet, I had no illusions that she hadn't given in.

But who was the smaller one? That was the big question. It was too small to be Artemis, or even one of the twins. Maybe a niece or nephew? Or maybe one of Artemis himself's children?

My heart ached at the thought that Artemis could have had kids with somebody else, but after so long, it was entirely plausible.

I flew a few acres over to bury the acorn in the ground, relishing, for just a few seconds, the feeling of the magic rushing through my veins. Then I shielded and flew back over to see what was going on.

I landed in one of the lower branches of the oak, a few feet above Butler's head. I was low enough I could hear and see what was happening, but high enough none of them would ever detect the heat haze. Perfect.

I watched the scene play out silently, my heart wrenching as I listened to the conversation. Butler kept his promise, saying that I escaped, and although he completely terrified Sam, he never hurt her. Neither did the other human. That was relieving.

Finally they knocked Sam out and out her in the car, and I rose from the branch. There was nothing more to see or do here - the rest of Sam's protection was up to Butler now.

And her hope for rescue was up to me.

**So, dramatic ending or what? Anyhow. . . good/bad? Like it? Please review! :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay, so.. . yeah. Not sure what to say. Thank you to the guests and people who told me to get off my butt and update. Here it is, perhaps not as dramatic as everyone might have wanted and imagined, but Artemis and Holly meet again! :D Who's ready for it? I was. And I got a little carried away. . as you will probably be able to tell. Let's just say Arty gets a little haywire. . .well . . you'll see. . ;)**

**Disclaimer: So I didn't do one of these for every chapter. But I obviously don't own Arty, or Holly, or the whole AF series, because this is a fanfiction site, is it not? ;)**

Artemis II-

I was sound asleep when my communicator buzzed. For the first time in almost thirteen years, it actually buzzed - and it shook my hand so hard I almost thought maybe it was a person jerking on my hand. But then, I opened my eyes and saw there was nobody else in the room with me, and I knew what it had to be.

I whipped the ring off my hand and answered it. "Hello?" Even to me, my voice sounded drowsy, but at least I answered. "Holly?"

"Fowl." Her voice was low and strained. She sounded unhappy, and the fact she had addressed me by my last name wasn't a good sign, but it was all the more proof that I was actually talking to her. "Where are you?"

"Why?" I asked, I had the sneaking suspicion I already knew the answer.

"Because I have to get to you. We need to talk. . . and I need your help."

I nodded and wet my lips, forgetting that she couldn't see me for a moment. "Oh. Alright. . . . Are you okay?"

There was a pause, and I heard her take a deep, shuddering breath. "I don't know" came her honest answer. "Look, just tell me where you are. . . . please. It's urgent."

Her voice broke a little on the end, and I suddenly got the impression that she was having a lot more trouble holding it together than she cared to admit.

"It's a hotel not far from Dublin," I finally sighed. "I'll meet you out front if you want."

"Okay. . .. if I'm coming from the ritual site, which direction do I go?"

"Which site?"

"Which site do you think?" she said, in a steely tone. Suddenly I realized exactly which ritual site Holly would have been at.

"Oh. East, I think. Then straight on for about five miles. After that go south until you see the sign."

"What sign?" she demanded, sounding irritated.

"It's big, bright, has huge blue letters. . . . it'll be the first hotel you'll see coming from that direction. And I'll sit under the street light outside, so you could always just look for me too. . . "

"Fine," she agreed quickly. "If I get lost I'll call back. Bye."

I didn't get to respond before the line went dead.

After that, I threw on a jacket over my night clothes and went outside to wait.

It didn't take long - Holly must have been gunning the throttle the whole way, because she arrived in under a half an hour.

I didn't turn when I heard her touch down behind me, merely asked, "fly fast enough?"

"Shut up," she replied. I could feel her eyes locked on my back as she slowly walked over and sat beside me on the edge of the sidewalk. There was silence for a long minute. "Can we go in?" she finally asked.

"Of course." I stood, and pulled her up as well. We walked back up to my room in silence.

"Alright," I said, as we walked in. I shut the door and turned to her, catching her eyes as I pointed to the bed. "Sit," I ordered, "and spill."

She walked over and sat down on the bed like I told her to, but she only looked up at me and asked, "what? We're back to orders now? Don't you think you could be a little more hospitable?"

I inclined my head as I turned and flicked the lock closed. I pretended not to see her flinch for the moment as I went to sit beside her, until I tilted her head up to meet my eyes again. "I apologize," I said lowly. "Alright?" I reached out to lay my hand on her knee, and she flinched again, her eyes dropping. "Are you alright, Holly? You seem. . . jumpy."

She breathed deeply in and out before looking back at me with wide eyes. After a moment, she dropped them back down to my hand, which I had returned to my lap, and then back to my face. Suddenly, she just shook her head and leaned down against me, falling into my lap and burying her face in my stomach. "I'm sorry, Artemis," she said, without lifting her head. "I guess I'm just a little edgy after what happened. . . please don't be mad at me. I really am just. . . stressed."

I was more than slightly surprised, but I didn't let it show as I gently pulled her up and into my arms. "Holly," I said seriously, "the only thing I really have to be mad about, is that the call you promised me when you left before, came thirteen years late. Alright?" I pushed her back slightly, off her position on my shoulder, and squeezed her once when she nodded. "Trust me, I know what stress is like. I've done and said more than my fair share of rash things because of stress." I pulled her back in again, then sighed. "Okay, Holly. As much as I thoroughly enjoy sitting here holding you, I can't accomplish anything until you tell me what's happening." I gave her one of my vampire smirks when she nodded, then said, "nothing useful to you, anyways."

"What do you mean?" she asked, wiping at her eyes.

I swept my gaze over her once and muttered, "never mind. So, what happened?"

She shook her head, looking up at me through glazed eyes as she insistently asked, "what did you mean, Artemis?"

"Nothing, Holly. It was a bad joke."

"You sounded serious to me."

"If I told you what I meant, you would probably slap me," I told her.

"And if you don't tell me what you meant, I will shoot you," she retorted, pulling her gun out if her hip holster and pressing it into my stomach.

My eyes widened slightly, and I swallowed hard. I took a second to come up with a retort. "You wouldn't shoot me," I replied steadily. "I can't help you if I'm dead."

Holly frowned. "I never said I'd kill you," she mumbled. "It's only on stun." But the fight seemed to leave her at the comment, and I realized I'd hit a sore spot.

"Holly?" I asked suspiciously. "Are you okay?"

She had been staring at the wall behind me, and I could feel her hand shaking against my stomach. She shook her head rapidly, tears starting to form in her eyes. "Sam. . ." she whispered. Then suddenly her eyes got wide, and she turned to me again, obviously panicked. "They wouldn't hurt her, would they? Butler promised me that he wouldn't let anything happen to her, but I-I don't even know that kid. . . and I haven't talked to Butler in years, so I don't even know if I can trust him anymore. . .he probably hates me!" She shook her head again, wiping her eyes and gasping at me, "Artemis, what am I going to do?"

"For starters, take some deep breaths," I said, laying a hand on her shoulder. She closed her eyes and complied. "Okay. That's a girl. Now, I'm going to ask some questions, okay? Just answer me as simply as you can." She nodded, and I asked, "when did you talk to Butler?"

"Earlier this evening, w-when. . . when Sam was kidnapped."

"Who is Sam?" I asked, closing my eyes to think.

"My. . I mean. . " She stopped to correct herself. "Our daughter. Sam is our daughter."

My eyes flew open. "Not possible."

"With fairy technology it is," Holly countered.

I grabbed her chin. "Open your eyes and look at me. Now." Holly did. I could feel her shaking beneath my hand, but I ignored it as I demanded, "since when, Holly? How old is she? When did you do it, and why the hell wasn't I informed?"

"I-I. . ."

Holly pulled away from me, her lip trembling. She looked miserable, not to mention scared, but I wasn't about to relent - I was steamed now. Not even so much because of this being the way I had to find out, or because she obviously hadn't wanted me near the child, but because I hadn't even been notified about it. At all. Why would she do that?

I wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake her, but I didn't. I wasn't sure I trusted myself not to hurt her. So I just took a shaky breath and said, "answering me before I loose my temper might be in your best interests, Holly."

"Don't threaten me, Artemis," Holly said, her voice shaky. "I can still kick your butt, and the last time I checked, I'm the one with a weapon."

"Are you?" I sneered, a surge of anger hitting me. I wrenched the gun from her hand, growling when she tried to take it back, and then pouncing on her and pressing the gun into _her_ stomach. "Now," I drawled lowly, with deceiving calmness, "who is the one with the weapon?"

"How did you. . . .?"

"I've been practicing," I snarled at her. She flinched, but I didn't feel remorse. "Now, are you going to behave?"

She blanched. "You make sick comments, give me orders, yell at me, then disarm me and pounce on me, and yet you say I'm the one that's misbehaving? How do you figure that?"

I sighed and shook my head, not answering as I raised the gun. "I suppose not," I murmured, as I pressed it into her chest. "In that case, you might as well say goodnight."

Her eyes got wide and panicked, and she tried to struggle away from me, but I leaned forward slightly and used my knees to pin her hands. "Artemis, wait," she pleaded. "I -"

I didn't listen as I thought for a moment. A plan was forming in my head. Checking the setting of the weapon, I saw it was only a three - that meant if I shot her, it wouldn't kill her, just knock her out for a while, which was what I wanted. So I did - clicking off the safety, I pulled the trigger.

The shot bounced us about three feet in the air. When we came back down on the bed, Holly was unconscious. I leaned down and put my head on her chest, and when I heard her heart still rapidly pumping beneath my ear, I sighed a little and sat up. I was thankful for it - I didn't want to hurt her, but I needed the time to calm down. I was still angry, and she wasn't helping, so knocking her out was the obvious thing to do. Unfortunately this time I didn't have any tranquilizer, or hypodermic darts. . . .

Suddenly my plan came back to mind, and I smiled. Right. That was what I had to do.

Quickly, I took the handcuffs off Holly's belt and used them to cuff her, then went around the room quietly and picked up all my stuff. I threw it all back in my bag, zipped up the coat which I'd never bothered to take off, and then threw Holly over my shoulder. . . . and finally, we were off.

**Yeah. . . .so Arty went a little crazy. Who wants to know what he does with Holly? ;) A lot of people I bet. . .so review and I will tell you! By updating! :D Also, if you guys could check out my story called Reprise, I would appreciate it. It's just a little one shot, not too long, and just humour and romance. AH. ;D So.. . review, then check it out!**


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